and I
suppose we shan't melt."

"What about the lunch?" asked Rhoda. "I'm getting so famished, I can't
wait much longer."

It was decided that the extreme top of the Tor was hardly a suitable
place--the wind was strong, and no water was available; so they climbed
some little distance down the cliff on the farther side, and at last hit
upon a sheltered spot among the rocks, where a small surface spring,
bubbling up from the ground, enabled them to fill the milk-can which was
to serve as a kettle. The boys cut large bundles of dry heather, and,
stacking it well together, soon had a good fire burning. They found it
after all impossible to suspend the can, for the flames burnt directly
through any stick that they tried to hang over the blaze; so they were
obliged to set it securely on an arrangement of stones, and rake the
fire round it. They had brought the tea in a muslin bag, which they
dropped into the can, to save a teapot; and though pouring out was
rather difficult, owing to the tin being so extremely hot, Meta managed
to dispense the cups without burning her fingers.

"You haven't provided the fish course yet," said Rhoda to Ralph. "I
thought we were to have fried trout as part of the feast."

"And I thought you were to give us mushrooms," retorted Ralph.

"Shouldn't care to wait while she cooked them," declared Leonard. "Ham
sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs are quite good enough for me. Did you
bring any salt? Another cup of tea, please, and don't be stingy with
the sugar, Meta. I like three lumps."

"I wonder why things always taste so different out-of-doors," said
Lindsay, looking reflectively at the three-cornered strawberry jam
pastry she was eating.

"Why, I saw you swallow an ant on your tart just now," said Ralph, "so
perhaps that has given it a flavour. Oh, you needn't distress yourself!
Ants are quite wholesome, I assure you. There are a frightful lot of
them crawling about here, though. I think we shall have to move on a
stave."

"Ugh! Yes. They're stinging me already!" agreed Lindsay.

They were all a little tired after their long walk, so they were glad to
sit and rest after lunch, asking riddles, cracking jokes, and listening
to the boys' school tales of exciting cricket matches, private feuds,
combats between class champions, and the punishments that had been meted
out to certain sneaks and bullies--accounts which were as thrilling in
their way as the doughty deeds of mail-clad knights of o